Everyone has been ghosted before and you are no exception. From the girl next door to “the best interview ever” we have all experienced getting ghosted at one point or another. Unfortunately for the hiring market today the process of getting ghosted continues to be a hot topic running through zoom meetings and emailed memo’s.
“The interview seemed like it went really well, however after leaving two voicemails, sending three emails, and calling four times it appears that the candidate has ghosted us.”

-Written Every Single HR Manager/ Recruiter/ Sourcer at least once since 2019 when Covid began.

Getting ghosted by a candidate is no fun because after getting your hopes up that you have had a good interview or located a good candidate for the role there is still a high potential that the interviewee will be uninterested in moving forward. 

A Few Things to Keep In Mind If You Are Getting Ghosted Regularly:

The Multistep Candidate Killer: 

There are some jobs that it is perfectly fine to have 101 steps from the resume submission to the first day and there are some jobs that it is not. Government jobs, Executive C Suites, Licensed Professions, etc. There are lots of jobs that require background checks, drug tests, years of references and more but there are also lots of jobs that do not and should not require all or even any of the above. 

With the candidate pool the way that it is today and candidates continually ghosting employers, trying to reduce the steps from the start of an application to starting the job is really valuable to keeping candidates intrigued and engaged long enough to get them hired. Try considering, “Is this absolutely necessary to understanding the candidate’s ability to do the job?” and “Is this specific information necessary for the organization as a whole to understand before allowing them to begin work?” Knowing what is vital information to a hire and what is inconsequential information is key.

The Power of Communication

I don’t know about you but, personally I can struggle with the process of patience. Specifically when I am waiting to hear back about something that is important to me. Perhaps you understand the frustration of sitting on the other side waiting patiently or not-so-patiently for the other person to return your message or call you back  when FINALLY after waiting what feels like a lifetime you hear from your sister and she had a baby girl, or you get a call from the doctor and your wife is cancer free, or the realtor calls and you got the house! Whatever your situation was, you have  been on the other side of the phone waiting to hear some news.

Depending on the role that you are hiring for you may be holding the fate of a life changing career switch for a 55 year old. You may be holding the job offer of someone’s dreams for a recent grad. You may be holding the meal ticket for the single mother of three kids. You have valuable information to other people whether you know it or not. Making sure that you have clear communication as to what steps you are in and when you expect next steps to come is essential to keeping a candidate involved and intrigued in the process. Communication is key. 

The Indecisive Loner

Whether the indecisiveness  is coming from the HR Manager, the Executive Director, owner or recruiter, anything to do with being indecisive needs to be stopped from the get-go. With the rate at which the digital hiring market booms with flooded job boards, fast paced interviews and immediate hires the candidates can apply and be in the building on payroll within a matter of a few hours depending on the role. This means that as they are going through the application process with other jobs there is ample opportunity for them to find a job at your competition. Knowing and seeing talent from afar, acting on it right away and finding the candidates that you need is a huge part of hiring today. Decisive  decision making is key.  ​

Hiring is a challenging game right now but if you stay on top of your application process, your communication with candidates and your decision making speed it will help you continue to add the staff you need, when you need them.